Mozart (La) Finta Giardiniera
A rather severely cut and all too live performance of an early Mozart opera
View record and artist detailsRecord and Artist Details
Composer or Director: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Genre:
Opera
Label: Actes Sud
Magazine Review Date: 9/2002
Media Format: CD or Download
Media Runtime: 156
Mastering:
DDD
Catalogue Number: AT34110
Tracks:
Composition | Artist Credit |
---|---|
(La) finta giardiniera |
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Composer
Donald George, Mayor, Tenor Elzbietta Smytka, Serpetta Fionnuala McCarthy, Sandrina Friedemann Layer, Conductor Jeanne Piland, Ramiro Margaret Marshall, Arminda, Soprano Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon National Orchestra Reinhard Dorn, Nardo, Bass Thomas Moser, Podestà, Tenor Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Composer |
Author:
La finta giardiniera was Mozart’s last opera buffa before Le nozze di Figaro. But the two works belong to different eras‚ and you won’t find much here that foreshadows what was to come. Written for the Munich court in 1774‚ La finta giardiniera is for the most part fairly slender music‚ much in the manner of Italian opera buffa of the time (in Italy Mozart had wisely been confined to the seria genre)‚ with light textures and sprightly tunes.
The sheer silliness of the plot doesn’t help: it turns on Sandrina‚ the disguised gardenergirl of the title‚ who in reality is a marchioness hiding from her lover‚ Belfiore‚ who thinks he killed her in a fit of temper‚ and with whom she remains in love. Of course‚ their amatory fates are intertwined with those of others of the cast. Sandrina survives a further attempt on her life‚ goes mad‚ as too does Belfiore‚ after which they are reconciled. Not too funny‚ perhaps‚ but remember that the 18th century found madness almost as amusing as physical deformity. The humour in La finta giardiniera is chiefly found in the music for the servant couple‚ Serpetta and Nardo‚ and the pompous Podestà (or Mayor). But the most memorable music comes in the more serious moments – Sandrina’s touching little cavatina in the first act‚ the various outbursts of jealousy or rage‚ and the contemplative arias. In the finales‚ too: in the tradition of Goldoni dramma giocoso some of these are lengthy action ensembles – a big confusion scene in Act 1‚ an emotionally more complex one in Act 2. And in the brief final act the musical specific gravity is noticeably higher.
There has been no new recording of the work for some years‚ and it was a good idea to make a CD set from the performances at the 1995 Radio France festival in Montpellier. It would have been a much better one had the performance been more nearly complete. La finta giardiniera is admittedly quite a long opera (previous recordings have taken around 200 minutes); in this one‚ much of the recitative is cut – and I don’t really complain about that – but so are five of the arias‚ including several of the most characteristic. Belfiore loses half of his and Ramiro and the Podestà get only two apiece. The exigencies of stage performance may make this acceptable but it really will not do for a recording of a rare work. The items for Belfiore and Ramiro in particular extend the opera’s expressive range and their omission is damaging.
As far as it goes‚ however‚ this is a perfectly acceptable performance. The Sandrina‚ Fionnuala McCarthy‚ shows considerable charm and delicacy; she and Donald George‚ a pleasantly lyrical tenor who brings some expressive force to Belfiore’s later music‚ duet gracefully in their final number. Thomas Moser as the Podestà is a little unvaried in tone and manner but his last aria does splendidly. The Serpetta‚ Elzbieta Szmytka‚ who sang the role in an earlier recording‚ is aptly light and playful‚ and Reinhard Dorn as Nardo shows a good‚ crisp comic style. Jeanne Piland’s voice is decidedly feminine for the male (originally castrato) role of Ramiro but she brings some power to the lastact aria; and Margaret Marshall appropriately finds a touch of wouldbe grand manner in Arminda’s music. Friedemann Layer’s direction is adequate: there isn’t much light or shade in the orchestral playing‚ and several singers are permitted to sing at an unchanging forte‚ but ensemble is secure and tempi are well chosen. The recitatives are decently paced but more appoggiaturas would have made it sound better. There is rather a lot of applause to remind you that this was a live performance.
As to alternatives‚ if you happen to have the Cambreling recording that came out in 1990 (Ricercar‚ 4/90 – nla)‚ you may rest content with that; equally so the Hager version (originally DG‚ now Philips)‚ the only other choice now for the Italian original. The German version (which has Mozart’s authority) is also available‚ under SchmidtIsserstedt‚ who provides a somewhat measured reading but with some rather distinguished singing.
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